Rothesay Castle

PricingHalf price in your first year of English Heritage membership, then freeEH memberHalf, then freeNon-member£8.50

EH members: half price, then freeInfo

Half price, then free, for English Heritage members

This place is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland. First-year English Heritage members get 50% off the ticket price; members who have renewed get in free. Bring your valid membership card, and any pre-booked tickets, to ensure entry.

Pre-booking is recommended at Edinburgh Castle, Skara Brae, Stirling Castle, Blackness Castle, Urquhart Castle, Doune Castle and Maeshowe. Bookings are limited to six people per membership.
Bring the card itself: joint and family memberships admit the named holders only.
Historic Scotland does not offer reciprocal admission to National Trust properties, and a National Trust card is not accepted here.

More information

Entry

Non-member prices

Adult (aged 16 to 64)£8.50

Child (aged 7 to 15)£4.00

Concession (aged 65 and over)£6.80

Pricing details

In-person price; £7.50 booked online. One undated price table is published; recheck in spring 2027. Children under 7 free but need a ticket; up to two carers free per transaction; Young Scot and National Entitlement Card holders pay £1. Explorer Pass accepted. No family ticket, joint ticket or audio guide. English Heritage members: half price in your first membership year and free after your first renewal, on showing a valid card; bookings capped at six people per membership. Historic Scotland members free.

In-person price; £3.50 booked online; under-7s free with a ticket. English Heritage members: half price in your first membership year and free after your first renewal, on showing a valid card; bookings capped at six people per membership. Historic Scotland members free.

In-person price; £6 booked online. English Heritage members: half price in your first membership year and free after your first renewal, on showing a valid card; bookings capped at six people per membership. Historic Scotland members free.

ParkingNo car park

Arrive on foot, by bike or by public transport.

Parking details

Historic Scotland says the site has no specific visitor parking and visitors can use the drop-off point at the entrance; the castle is in Rothesay town centre. Town-centre car parks nearby are not named by HES and their tariffs were not verified.

Pin: Historic Scotland's own pin on the castle, Castlehill Street. By ferry: CalMac's Wemyss Bay to Rothesay crossing takes 35 minutes, at least hourly all year, and the Rothesay terminal is about 230 m from the castle; drivers from the north can cross from Colintraive to Rhubodach in 5 minutes.

About

Rothesay Castle, in the heart of Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, is Scotland's only castle with a circular curtain wall, ringed by a moat where ducks live. Walter, 3rd High Steward, probably built the first stone castle in the early 1200s against Norwegian attack. Haakon IV's men took it in 1230 after a three-day siege, and Haakon himself retook it in 1263 before a storm scattered his fleet before the battle at Largs; afterwards four great towers were added to the wall. When the Stewarts became kings in 1371 Rothesay became a royal castle, and the heir to the throne is still Duke of Rothesay. James IV and James V added the great gatehouse and St Michael's Chapel, and the Marquises of Bute restored the ruin in the 1800s. The restored great hall in the gatehouse holds displays on the castle's royal owners. Visitors love the ruined chapel, the ladder down to the dungeon, the views from the walls and the short walk from the ferry.

Check today’s timesPick a day for times and prices

Until 25 Dec: Mon, Tue, Wed, Sat, Sun 10:00–16:00, last entry 15:30
26 Dec–4 Jan: Closed
5 Jan–31 Mar: Mon, Tue, Wed, Sat, Sun 10:00–16:00, last entry 15:30

Later dates are in the calendar.

Today, Saturday 24 October

Rothesay Castle10:00 – 16:00last entry 15:30

Prices, non-members

Ticket	On the day	Online
Adult	£8.50	£7.50
Concession	£6.80	£6.00
Child	£4.00	£3.50

Book tickets

Opening times may change at short notice.

1 April to 30 September daily 9.30am to 5pm; 1 October to 31 March Saturday to Wednesday 10am to 4pm, closed Thursday and Friday; lunch closure 12 noon to 1pm; last entry 30 minutes before closing; closed 24 December to 4 January. Historic Scotland recommends booking an entry slot in advance. Notice on 18 October 2026: 'There is a small amount of scaffolding in place while conservation work is carried out, but this should have minimal impact on your visit and does not restrict access to the site.'

The shop has ramped access and the castle is reached across a wooden bridge with a slight upward slope; the courtyard, with the chapel and a tower later made a dovecot, has grass and paved surfaces; the dungeon is down a 10-rung metal ladder and the gatehouse upper level is reached by a straight and a spiral stair, both with uneven steps. Toilets on site; the nearest adapted toilet is at the Rothesay ferry terminal, about 200 m away; shop, no cafe or audio guide.

Photo: Rothesay Castle's round curtain wall and gatehouse reflected in the moat on a sunny day. Reading Tom, CC BY 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rothesay_Castle_(35530873693).jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.